Sick Baby Hoax? What Next?

Creepy "real baby" doll...yikes!

Woman Apologizes for Sick Baby Hoax

Anti-Abortion Blogger Admits Hoax

i am sorry

As for the hoax, the perfect storm of fanaticism, mental instability and the Internet. I can understand that combination being dangerous. At least, far too tempting. Alcoholics probably shouldn't hang out in bars and attention-seeking depressives probably shouldn't have a blog.

The REALLY interesting thing to me is, a million hits! Well over a million people read a blog about a woman with a sick baby. Millions more watch the Gosling family's eight kids and two parents' lives disintegrating every week. Half the world was worked into ecstasy by Susan Boyle belting out a song and then into a frenzy when she ended up in a hospital over it.

When it comes to misery, tragedy, and even hoaxes, I'm with Alice Waters. Keep it local. There is plenty of really dreadful stuff going on in our own community and (I know you probably don't like to admit it out loud) in our own lives, that makes for some excellent drama.

I think we all might just find that if we DID spend some more time exploring the lives of the people who live around the block, next door, and even in the next room, that not only would we grow closer, we might just have a lot less of the tragedy we so eagerly await now.

Here's what some other Forum folk have to say on the matter...

Jasmine says, "Anyone that gave her [money] should lose it for being so stupid."

Ruth says, "It shows you what lengths people will go to push their own agendas. "

Abe says, "Caveat Emptor on the Internet. Anybody can post anything."

Katlyn says, "I love Jon and Kate Plus Eight."

Jamie says, "I'm with Pat on this one. People should spend more time worrying about how they can help people in their own communities."